


Peace (and how to get there)

by writers_haven



Series: Rintori Week Summer 2014 [3]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Day 3: First Kiss, M/M, Rintori Week Summer 2014, advisor!nitori, king!rin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-31 18:14:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6481570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writers_haven/pseuds/writers_haven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>King Rin has to deal with ruling a kingdom and being a brother alongside nursing a huge crush on his advisor against the advice of his best friend. </p><p>Being royal is tough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peace (and how to get there)

**Author's Note:**

> (note that i have chosen not to use archive warnings. proceed with caution.)

“Rin,” Sousuke said darkly, “you know I’m right. If we want to win this war, we have to attack now, while Iwatobi is weak!”

“No!” Ai interrupted firmly. “With all due respect, Lord Yamazaki, attacking is the wrong choice.”

“ _With all due_ _respect_ , Lord Nitori, I will _not_ sit by and wait for their new King to learn how to destroy us!” Sousuke shot back, glaring. “King Makoto is inexperienced, weak, cowardly. If we hit them with all we’ve got _now_ , we can end this decade-long war!”

“At what cost?” Ai challenged. “More violence just means more losses on both sides!”

“We can make sure that they’ll be losing more than we will–”

“Enough!” Rin snapped, finally losing his temper. Both Ai and Sousuke fell silent.

Rin took a deep breath to calm himself. “Sousuke,” he said, turning to his lifelong friend, “I remember playing with Makoto as a child, before the war began. The guy couldn’t hurt a fly; I think he’s the change we’ve been waiting for, our chance at restoring peace between our kingdoms.”

Sousuke’s eyes narrowed in disagreement, but he remained silent.

“And Ai,” Rin continued, turning to his enthusiastic advisor, “we might not be able to achieve peace without bloodshed. I don’t know if Makoto will be open to a peace treaty; if he isn’t, we’ll have to attack before he does.”

Ai nodded in understanding, though he didn’t seem happy about it. “What do you want to do now, Your Majesty?” he asked.

Rin frowned, thinking it over. “Send a messenger to King Makoto,” he decided finally. “Find out if he’d be willing to meet and discuss a peace treaty.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Ai bowed, then left to carry out his orders.

“Since when have you been for diplomacy?” Sousuke asked Rin, frowning, when they were alone. “You’ve never been afraid of sacrificing pawns to get to checkmate.”

Rin sighed. “Ai’s right,” he said, shaking his head. “Violence… it’s not always the answer. Besides, I _know_ Makoto. He’s _definitely_ the diplomacy type. Why send our men to their deaths when we don’t have to?”

“People change, Rin,” Sousuke warned gravely. “Maybe you _knew_ him, but you don’t know what the last ten years have done to him.”

“Well,” Rin replied, leaning back in his throne, “I guess we’ll find out either way.”

“I just hope you’re putting your trust in the right places,” Sousuke said darkly, then left.

Rin sighed and rubbed his temples.

\--

The messenger sent to Iwatobi came back in one piece, bearing gifts of gold and precious stones and one excellent painting of a shark. _For Shark Prince Rin-Rin_ , said the piece of parchment attached to it, above a truly horrible mess that Rin supposed was meant to be the young Lord Hazuki’s signature. He wondered if the shark had been painted by Haruka; Makoto’s best friend had always shown a talent for art.

“The message has been well-received,” Ai observed, trying to remain professional but failing to suppress his cute sparkly happiness. “What should we do, Your Majesty?”

What should they do indeed? Rin trusted Makoto, but certainly didn’t trust Makoto’s _court_ not to arrange Rin’s assassination if he went personally, given how bloodthirsty they had proven to be in the last decade. Besides, Samezuka was facing famine due to a particularly bad harvest, and Rin had to stay to help with rationing.

“Princess Gou,” Rin said suddenly. “She knows Makoto and she’s trained in diplomacy. Ai, what do you think?”

“The Princess is a good choice, since you cannot be there yourself,” Ai agreed. “Alone, however, she seems too vulnerable. Maybe Sir Mikoshiba should accompany her?”

Rin made a face. Sure, Mikoshiba was a great fighter, and would easily be able to protect Gou. Given his friendly, outgoing personality, he was probably a good choice for a diplomacy mission, too; but he was also known for his huge crush on Gou, and Rin wasn’t all too sure whether Gou would be happy to spend days, if not weeks, with him.

“If she doesn’t mind,” Rin agreed begrudgingly. “Send twenty of our best men with them, and give them strict orders to protect Gou, even if it’s from Mikoshiba’s wandering hands!”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Ai said solemnly, with only a hint of amusement in his tone. He bowed to Rin and turned to leave.

“Ai,” Rin said suddenly, surprising even himself. Ai stopped, turning back to Rin curiously. Rin swallowed– his throat was suddenly bone dry. Why was he so nervous all of a sudden?

“Your Majesty?” Ai prompted, a worried expression making its way onto his face.

“Would you–” Rin fumbled over his words, trying not to blush. “Um. Would you like to dine with me– privately– tonight?”

There was an awkward silence in the room, Rin forcing himself to keep his eyes on Ai. Ai himself seemed frozen with his mouth open in shock. Rin would’ve thought him under some sort of spell if it weren’t for the blush creeping steadily across Ai’s face.

“I- Sure,” Ai squeaked finally, after a good minute of them just staring at each other with bright red faces.

“Good,” said Rin a little helplessly. “Yes. Um. I’ll meet you in the small dining room? Say, seven?”

“Seven’s good,” Ai replied, sounding as flustered as Rin felt. “I’ll just- I’ll see you then.”

“Yeah,” Rin replied awkwardly, “bye.”

Ai bowed again, then scurried off.

Rin groaned and buried his burning face in his hands. Sousuke always made it look so _easy_.

\--

As far as first dates went, Rin thought theirs had gone rather well. They’d both been pretty awkward in the beginning, but as the night went on they’d managed to slip into easy conversation. They debated literature just as easily as they might have debated politics or economics in a more formal surrounding– the only difference being the slight tangle of their legs under the table and the occasional flirty line or two thrown about.

The food was excellent, of course, and the wine coloured Ai’s cheeks a slight, perfect pink. Rin himself was happy, though from the wine or the company he didn’t know. When they’d finished eating, Rin walked Ai back to his chambers, and was even bold enough to catch Ai’s hand in his.

“Thank you,” Ai said, smiling bashfully, when they came to a stop in front of his door. “I– I’ve really enjoyed tonight.”

Rin couldn’t help his besotted grin. “Me too,” he agreed softly. Ai looked so perfect, eyes bright and happy, cheeks wine-flushed, lips pink and tempting. Rin brushed a thumb over Ai’s smooth cheek, thinking of what it’d be like to kiss him, right here and now, in the middle of the corridor…

 _First date, Rin,_ he reminded himself, and pulled away hastily with an awkward cough. “Goodnight, Ai,” he said quietly.

“Goodnight, R-Rin,” Ai replied shyly, blushing and stumbling over Rin’s name. Rin felt his own face start to burn– Ai’d never called him by name before, and the sound of it made Rin feel inexplicably happy.

“Goodnight,” Rin whispered again, and smiled at Ai until he disappeared behind his door.

\--

“This is absolutely nauseating, I hope you realise,” said Sousuke, half-amused and half-disgusted as he watched Rin and Ai wave at each other through a window, both wearing identical, dopey expressions.

“You’re just jealous,” Rin sniffed, not taking his eyes off Ai even as Ai turned to dicuss something or other with someone else. Sousuke rolled his eyes. Pathetic.

“Sure,” Sousuke agreed sarcastically. “Anyway. Are you sure it’s such a good idea to send Princess Gou off to Iwatobi?”

“Sir Mikoshiba will be with her, and there’s nothing he won’t do for her, including take a knife,” Rin replied absently. “Ai thought it was a good idea.”

Sousuke narrowed his eyes. “Rin,” he said seriously. “ _You’re_ the king, not him. Don’t let him manipulate you.”

Rin turned to Sousuke incredulously. “ _Look_ at him, he’s an innocent little duck,” Rin scoffed, incensed. “Are you trying to say that nobody could possibly like me for _who I am_ instead of my royalty?” The words stung as he said them; Rin had never liked anyone the way he liked Ai, and if it turned out he was only interested in Rin’s royalty…

It hurt his heart just thinking about it.

Sousuke sighed. “That’s not what I meant,” he said, sounding apologetic. “Just– Don’t let your fondness for him blind you.”

Rin looked at Sousuke for a long moment, taking in his concern and warning, and nodded. “I won’t,” he promised solemnly. “So what do you really think about sending Gou to Iwatobi?”

“Honestly, she _is_ the most logical choice,” Sousuke admitted. “But I don’t know if I trust Mikoshiba. Let me send a few of my own men to protect her?”

Rin smiled and clapped a hand on Sousuke’s shoulder. “Sure. If you trust them, so do I,” he said, and that was that.

\--

Rin hugged Gou tightly. “You be good, okay?” he told her as he pulled away, flashing back to when she was six years old and everything made her cry. “If you don’t like anything Mikoshiba does–”

“–I’ll stomp on his feet,” Gou promised, clicking her high-heeled shoes threateningly. “You be good, too, brother– no slacking off to spend time with Nitori!”

“I’m so glad you’re going away,” Rin said dryly.

“Ready to go, Princess?” Mikoshiba asked, bright and cheerful and loud as always. A mini-Mikoshiba looking to be around fourteen years old hovered around him, staring at Gou with wide, bright eyes.

Rin narrowed his eyes. “Mikoshiba,” he said sharply. “You keep my sister safe.”

Mikoshiba saluted. “Yes, Your Majesty, of course,” he said seriously.

“Good. Who’s your shadow?” Rin asked, eyeing the mini-Mikoshiba warily.

“Oh!” cried Mikoshiba, much louder than necessary. He slung an arm around the boy, saying, “My squire, and also my little brother, Mikoshiba Momotarou.”

“Your Majesty,” mumbled Mini-shiba, bowing half-heartedly. “Your Highness,” he added breathily, bowing with a lot more gusto to Gou. Rin felt a muscle in his left eyebrow twitch.

“Squire,” Rin barked, glaring as hard as he could. “You touch my sister when she doesn’t want you to–”

“–and she’ll stomp on your feet,” Gou finished pleasantly. “Or any other part of your body, really. Thanks for your concern, but I can take care of myself, Rin.”

Rin took a deep breath. She was right, she wasn’t six anymore, and she could make people cry with an ease that frightened Rin.

She would be fine.

“I know you can,” Rin said softly, wondering when his little sister had grown into a woman. “Goodbye, Gou.”

Gou smiled and kissed Rin on the cheek. “Goodbye, Rin,” she said, grinning, and gracefully climbed into the carriage. She waved at him as the carriage started to move, and suddenly there was something in Rin’s eye, causing him to tear up.

Rin waved back until the carriage was a dot in the distance.

\--

Rin and Ai went on their second date nearly three weeks after Gou left. They never seemed to have time to spend together, between rationing food and dissuading the court from attacking Iwatobi, as well as Rin’s weekly letters to Gou (he didn’t _miss her_ , okay, it was strictly to get the news on the peace talks).

Thankfully, the one afternoon they both happened to be free was a sunny one, so Rin and Ai spent it outdoors, strolling the gardens hand-in-hand, joking and laughing and gossiping–

(“I heard some of the ladies-in-waiting are so impatient for you to marry they started a rumour that you were engaged to the Princess of Seien…”

“What?! Where did that even come from?!”

“Well, these _are_ the same ladies who claim they’re seeing ghosts everywhere.”

“…G-Ghosts?”

“Don’t worry, it was just a trick some of Lord Ashiya’s sons were playing on them.”

“Oh.”

“…Probably.”

“ _Probably_?!”)

–before settling down on the grass to eat a picnic dinner while facing a beautiful sunset.

It was, in Rin’s opinion, perfect.

And yet, Sousuke’s words were haunting Rin. What if Ai wasn’t just an innocent little duck? What if Sousuke was right? What if Ai was only pretending to like him because he was the king?

“Ai,” Rin started softly when they had finished their dinner, lying on the grass and admiring the pink-purple-orange sky with their fingers laced together.

Ai hummed in response, turning his head to look at Rin with a lazy smile on his face.

“Why… do you like me?” Rin whispered, fear slowly gripping his heart in an ugly, twisted claw.

Ai laughed gently. “Lots of reasons,” he whispered back. "Your determination. Your passion. Your love for your kingdom, and your loyalty to your loved ones. I even like your shark teeth! At first I was really scared, I thought, _I can’t mess up or the King will literally bite my head off!_ ” He laughed then, bright and clear and free.

With every word, Rin could feel the claw loosen just the tiniest bit. _He could still be lying_ , a small voice inside his head hissed.

“If… If I weren’t King,” Rin began, clutching Ai’s hand tightly, “would you still like me?”

“Oh, Rin,” Ai breathed, squeezing Rin’s hand. “Look at me.”

It took Rin a moment to gather the courage, but when he finally turned to look at Ai, the smaller man’s face was open, soft, affectionate.

“We could be servants, or farmers, or beggars on the street,” Ai told him firmly, looking him dead in the eye, “and I would still like your smile and your laugh and your stubbornness, because that is who you are, and I really, really like you.”

Rin stared at him for a long moment, the claw on his chest dissipating entirely as a dopey smile made its way onto Rin’s face.

“Thank you, Ai,” Rin whispered. “I– I really, really like you too.”

Ai’s smile was brighter than the sun.

\--

It was nearly an hour past sundown when they made their way back to Ai’s room, fingers laced together as they chatted in low voices. Rin swore he saw a ghostly shadow in the eaves (“Oh gods Ai there really _is_ a ghost!”) but it was just a wooden carving (“…I know, I was just trying to, uh, scare you. Yeah.”).

“I enjoyed spending time with you today,” Rin said softly, pressing his forehead to Ai’s.

Ai smiled gently. “So did I,” he replied quietly, his eyes apparently just as drawn to Rin’s lips as Rin’s were to Ai’s. Rin brought a hand up to cup Ai’s cheek, smoothing his thumb over soft, pale skin and that one tiny beauty mark.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” Rin murmured, eyes half-lidded. He could feel Ai’s breath against his face, Ai’s blush against his palm, Ai’s nose against his.

“Then do it,” Ai whispered back, and Rin leaned in–

Suddenly, the bells proclaiming the hour chimed loudly through the halls. Rin and Ai jerked in shock, Rin swearing and Ai with a yelp, managing to bang their foreheads together.

“Oh– oh, shit, sorry, Ai,” groaned Rin, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to soothe the pain.

“It’s fine,” Ai assured him, a sheepish grin on his face. “That could’ve gone better.”

Rin laughed, a little startled noise that took him by surprise. “Yeah,” he sighed in agreement, smiling heplessly at Ai. “Man, if Sousuke finds out–”

Rin stopped short. Ah, he’d forgotten– he’d promised to meet Sousuke for a game of chess!

“Rin?” Ai asked, concerned.

“Oh– no– I just– I have to go, I promised I’d meet Sousuke,” Rin stammered apologetically. “Sorry, I just– I forgot–”

“Go on,” Ai cut him off, smiling.

“Rain check on that kiss?” Rin asked with a sly grin.

“Goodnight, Rin,” Ai laughed. “See you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight,” Rin replied, smiling, then started down the corridor towards Sousuke’s room.

He barely made it three steps before a loud thud sounded from behind Ai’s door. Rin frowned, turning on his heel. “Ai?” he called, worried.

No answer.

Fear started to build in Rin’s stomach. He knocked loudly on Ai’s door. “Ai?” he shouted, trying to remain calm despite his racing heart. “Ai, are you okay?!”

Still nothing, though his shouting attracted several concerned guards. Panicked, Rin wrenched open the door – only to have a dark figure barrel through the doors and past Rin, darting down the hallway.

“Guards!” Rin snapped. “You, go get the physician! The rest of you, bring that person to me, dead or alive, understand?!”

The guards barely saluted before they were off running.

“R-Rin…” Ai’s voice croaked. Rin dashed towards the sound, finding Ai sitting propped up against the wall beside the door. In the dark it was hard to tell how injured he was, but Rin could smell blood, could make out the shape of a knife sticking out of Ai’s chest.

Rin hated that his first thought was _Ai is going to die_.

“Oh gods, Ai,” Rin gasped, kneeling down beside him. “Ai, oh fuck, Ai, no, no, no–”

“Rin,” Ai managed, panting like it was difficult to breathe. “This doesn’t… change… anything…”

“Ai, shh, it can wait, the physician’s on his way, you’re going to be okay,” Rin whispered, trying to peel away some of Ai’s clothing around the knife. Ai’s face was so pale, so pale, and so blurry, why was everything so blurry?! “We’re going to get that guy, okay, he won’t get away with this–”

“No...” Ai interrupted. “The peace treaty… it’s still… going to be signed… Don’t… go to war…”

What? Why bring it up now, Rin didn’t understand, but nodded in agreement anyway. “I understand, peace not war,” Rin choked out, “but please, please, Ai, don’t talk like you’re going to– to die!”

Ai huffed a little sound that might have been a laugh. “I was… waiting… for the right moment… to tell you…” His voice was weak, so weak, and Rin’s heart was breaking at the sound of it.

“Tell me what, what is it?” Rin whimpered frantically, because Ai’s eyes looked distant and far away, like Ai had started to lose consciousness. Rin’s heart nearly stopped as pressed his forehead to Ai’s, chanting, “Ai, Ai, stay with me, come on, don’t close your eyes, Ai, please, tell me!” 

Ai’s eyes refocused on Rin.

“I love you,” breathed Ai.

Rin let out an involuntary sob and brushed his thumb over soft, pale skin and that one tiny beauty mark. “I love you too,” he whispered against Ai’s skin, his nose right next to Ai’s, his shaky hands wet with Ai’s blood.

“I’ll take… that rain check… now…” Ai whispered, his lips curved in a shadow of his usual radiant grin.

“Sure,” Rin choked. “Just– Just promise me you’ll hang on, you won’t die just yet–”

“I’ll try,” was all Ai offered, but Rin was willing to take it. He tilted his head and leaned in, gently pressing his lips against Ai’s in their first kiss.

“You taste even sweeter than I thought you would,” Rin whispered when he pulled away, but Ai, his bright blue eyes now dull and lifeless, didn’t reply.

Rin cradled Ai to his chest and cried until the body in his arms turned cold.

\--

“You’re sure?” Rin asked darkly.

Sousuke nodded. “Killed the fucker myself. He bore the crest of Iwatobi, as did the knife. Looks like King Makoto, or at least one of his courtiers, doesn’t… _didn’t_ like Lord Nitori.”

“A declaration of war,” Rin snarled. “Well, if it’s war they want, it’s war they’ll fucking get!” Rin stormed out of the room with fire in his eyes and the promise of destruction to his enemies declared in the stomp of his feet.

Sousuke sighed. Nitori’s death had been an unfortunate necessity. The man had been smart and hardworking; he reminded Sousuke of Rin, actually, in a way. Of course, the difference being that Nitori could never do what was best for the kingdom, and Rin, well…

Rin just needed a little push, and who better to provide it than Sousuke, his best friend?

Sousuke could see it already, could see Samezuka overpowering Iwatobi and bringing an end to this long, gruelling war. Peace was within reach.

Samezuka would soon have Iwatobi in checkmate.

And all it had taken was the sacrifice of a single pawn.

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3: First Kiss
> 
> Did you look at the prompt and think this was going to be cute and sweet and fluffy??? Because I did, and then I decided I should be different. I like this one quite a bit, because I like the little foreshadowing stuffs I got to do in this. If I were to rewrite it now, almost two years later, I would probably make that dying speech a little less cheesy, but it's still a fic to be proud of, in my opinion.
> 
> ( [writing blog](http://haven-writes.tumblr.com) | [original post](http://writers-haven.tumblr.com/post/93705814098/rintori-week-day-three) )


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